Shell
by Silver Miko
Summary: Three years ago, Aoshi left Japan to study in California and now a recently graduated Misao decides to study in California as well...but doesn't tell Aoshi. What will happen with the two?
1. Going Away to College

Author's Note: I need to be stopped. And im am a dumbass. I just figured out how to covert to .html on this piece of crap. . DOH.

This story was partly, if not, largely inspired by 'Starstruck' by Jesse the Wolf Demon.

Thanks dude, that was a GREAT oneshot.

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Shell

By Silver Miko

'Please take me by the hand it's so cold out tonight I'll put blankets on the bed, but I won't turn out the light just yet...don't forget to think about me and I won't forget you..I'll write you once a week she said.....'

Chapter 1: Going Away to College

"Really Misao, I wish you would re-consider." Okina murmured, staring out as a crowd of young schoolgirls passed.

Both old man and young woman stood outside the Aoiya watching people pass by on the calm summer day.

Misao bopped him on the head and sighed, shaking her head.

"Jiya, I'm not changing my mind. This is my future, my life and this is what I want. I know it sounds extreme, but I think it's a good chance."

"You're still chasing, after all these years...." he murmured, shaking his head as he looked over to the petite eighteen year old girl with long blue-black hair and ocean blue eyes.

Wasn't it just yesterday that she was five and had that big toothy grin? How quickly time passed.

"Jiya, don't. I have other reasons. Besides, it's not THAT far."

"Not that far?! It's across the ocean!!!"

"Well yes, but it could be worse. I could be studying in Germany."

Okina grumbled and walked back into the Aoiya as Misao followed him to the kitchen where the two waitresses, Okon and Omasu were sipping tea with Shiro and Kuro, who also worked at Okina's restaurant.

"Okina, are you still giving Misao-chan a hard time?" Omasu asked.

"Of course! Going to America when there's perfectly good colleges here in Japan! Really!!"

"JIIIYAAAAAA!" Misao began, pouting as she put her hands on her hips.

"Really Okina, you can't stop her. She's already been accepted to college in San Diego, and the JET program is very good, and it might be a good experience for her." Okon said, trying to persuade the elderly man.

"She's chasing after Aoshi!" he cried out, and Misao cringed.

After all, it was partly true was it not?

Shinomori Aoshi had been living at the Aoiya for as long as Misao could recall, and grew up with him, despite the five year age difference. Three years earlier, he announced he was leaving Japan to study in California, leaving everyone stunned, and Misao heartbroken.

Ah, but wasn't it so apparent how much she cared for the man? She followed him everywhere, always listened dutifully as he instructed her in kenpo...he was so much of her world. And then he left.

And she hadn't really heard from him since. There was the occasional call to Okina, and the few times he left her an e-mail for her birthday...but nothing really. He was as stoic and emotionless as always.

Maybe she was chasing after him as always, but also....she wanted to see something more. To do something truly on her own and challenge herself. She had gained a scholarship at San Diego University, and had a place to stay until the dorms were ready, everything was set.

Almost.

Aoshi had no clue she was going to San Diego. And she didn't intend to tell him. Maybe she was afraid he'd tell her to stay in Japan, maybe she just wanted to surprise him. Either way, she had practically threatened every person at the Aoiya not to tell him.

"Hey, Misao-chan! Everyone from Tokyo's going to be here soon so maybe you should change."

"Eh?"

"For your going away party silly." Okon said, bopping her on the head. Misao sheepishly nodded and ran upstairs to her room to change into jeans and clean shirt as she looked around at her boxes.

It would be her last night there, her last night in Japan.

'Misao, you should go to sleep,' a fourteen year old Aoshi mumbled to a ten year old Misao.

'But I'm not tired Aoshi-sama!'

'Misao...'

'Okay, but only cuz you told me to!'

Misao smiled at the memory, wondering why it was that Aoshi had become so withdrawn and silent. Occasionally, he had shown some sort of emotion to her, but nothing earth-shattering. And yet she hoped.

"Alright alright, settle down y'all! I wanna propose a toast to our little Weasel!" Sanosuke said, raising his beer as Misao threw a piece of her bread at him.

"Enough of the Weasel Girl insults!" she yelled disgruntled as she lifted her beer in the air as the others followed suit.

"When I met this loudmouthed little punk two years ago, she was a little spitfire who wasn't afraid to answer with a swift kick in the ass. Luckily for us she's gotten a WEE more mature since then."

"Geez Rooster, this ain't a roast!!" Misao yelled, though she was grinning at this point.

"Yea, get to the point!" Megumi murmured as she raised her sake dish and waited for her oafish boyfriend to finish his toast.

"Anyways, as I was saying, Misao-chan we all wish you the best of luck in the States and remember this advice: Drive on the other side of the road, Americans are crazy, and always remember your rubbers."

"SANO!!!"

"Ano, you're lucky Okina-san's passed out de gozaru." Kenshin murmured, indicating Okina passed out in a chair in the corner. He had indulged a bit too much sake and had passed out twenty minutes earlier.

Misao, who was slightly blushing, took a swing of beer and sighed.

"Sano, I don't think I need to worry about the rubbers thing. I'm not going to the US to get laid."

"You never know, perhaps the California sun warmed out Ice Boy and he may be more receptive to your tomboyish charms."

Misao felt her smile falter and then forced it, knowing he only meant it as a teasing comment.

"Sheesh it's hot! I'm gunna get some air." Misao sighed as she fanned herself and walked outside, sitting on the porch.

Resting his chin in her hands, she sighed as she felt the cool night breeze against her face. It smelled of cherry blossoms, ramen and odon, sake, the forest....the smell of Kyoto. It was the last time she'd smell its fragrance, but it would always linger in her mind.

"Misao-chan?"

Looking up, she saw Kaoru in the door way.

"What's up?" Misao asked, patting to the space next to her on the porch, indicating for Kaoru to sit down.

"Listen, don't worry about it."

Misao blinked.

"About what?"

"Aoshi-san. I'm not saying forget him or anything dumb like that, but...just don't give up. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you in San Diego."

Misao sighed.

"I hope. Who knows? Maybe I'll meet someone else?"

Kaoru laughed and played with the end of her ponytail as she patted Misao on the head.

"Perhaps. There's got to be other impossibly tall men out there for you."

Misao shook her head and waved her hand.

"Forget it, I'm so sick of talking about boys. It's my last night in Japan, Kaoru-chan, really. So is Himura going to impart his 'wise' words to me too?"

"Oh probably. It'll be like 'Misao-dono, you are venturing on a new journey in your life and I hope you don't loose heart if things with Aoshi do not go as planned. De gozaru de gozaru de gozaru!!!"

Misao cracked up laughing at Kaoru's eerily accurate portrayal of the short red-headed man.

"Does he even call you Kaoru-dono in bed?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"Until he gets excited."

Misao mouthed out the word 'excited' then shook her head.

"Ugh, I really don't need that mental image haunting me. No offense. I swear you should marry him. He'll do all the housework and cooking. You'd have it so made."

Kaoru smiled.

"Oh I know that. I'm just waiting on him, but I'm only nineteen so he's not proposing anytime soon."

"Yea, good point. You know, I don't think I'm ever going to get married."

"Aw, don't say that Misao-chan!"

Misao kicked her legs out in front of her and leaned back.

"Well I mean I'm not wifely material, probably never will be. I hate to clean, I can cook like five things, and I'm bossy. And anyways, the only person I've ever thought I'd maybe marry is Aoshi-sama, but...well. Yea."

Kaoru put her arm on Misao's shoulder and rested her head against Misao's. She knew the younger girl was having a hard time sorting out her feelings, and though everyone really didn't want to see Misao leaving, it was in Kaoru's opinion the best idea.

Misao wasn't a kid anymore, she needed to do something on her own and needed to deal with her feelings away from everything.

And maybe being across the ocean with Aoshi without everyone else around would be a good thing.

"Misao-dono?"

Misao and Kaoru looked up to see Kenshin and Sanosuke walk out.

"What's up Himura?"

"I just wanted to wish you the best of luck at college and I hope you find happiness, de gozaru."

"Thanks Himura!" Misao said, standing up suddenly and slapping him on the back.

"Just make sure you make an honest woman out of Kaoru-chan by the time I'm done with school."

"Oro?!!"

"MISAO-CHAN!"

Both Kenshin and Kaoru were flustered by the statement while Sanosuke merely grinned.

"We have to go." Megumi murmured as she appeared from the doorway.

"Wow, it's already 12:30. I hope Yahiko didn't screw anything up at the dojo." Kaoru said, yawning.

"Ok everyone, group hug!" Sano yelled as Misao was suddenly glomped by her four Tokyo friends as she giggled and hugged them all back.

"Ok guys, have a safe drive back." she murmured as they smiled at her and waved.

"You better come back for vacation!"

"I will Kaoru-chan."

"Stay safe kid!"

"Stay stupid Rooster!"

"Misao-chan, good luck and if not I'll send you aphrodisiacs!"

"Um...ok Megumi-san."

"Study hard de gozaru."

"Ok Himura!"

And then they left and Misao sat back down on the porch. She laid back and looked out at the sky and yawned.

One door closing, another opening. It was the path she was choosing and she hoped she would not regret it.

Getting up after a while, she went to her room and fell asleep.

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Dreary and hungover, Misao leaned against the plain window groaning as she fought a wave of nausea.

'I'm never drinking before flying ever...ugh...thinking hurts...'

Misao closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she took a deep breath......and then grabbed a bag for motion sickness and began gagging as she threw up.

And thus she spent the rest of her flight sick to her stomach and wishing she was invisible.

Soon enough, but not for Misao, the plane landed at the airport and soon enough she was standing outside the gate waiting for her ride.

"MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-CHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Wincing and rubbing her ears, Misao looked ahead to see a slim figure with shoulder-length mousy brown hair running towards her wearing a bright soft green shirt and skirt.

"Kari-chan, hey..OOOFF!" Misao groaned when she felt herself glomped and was gasping and gagging for air until she was released.

"Little little Mi-chan oh my God I missed you!! This Americans just can't grasp my ideals of fun as well as you could!!!"

Misao merely nodded, feeling dizzy.

"You look like shit, hon."

"Well I spent that past six or so hours puking my guts out. Last time I drink for a while."

"Pssh. That's your own damn fault!!! Now let's get those bags and get back to Casa de Kamatari!!!"

Misao nodded and muttered a 'yea yea' as she followed her cross-dressing friend to baggage.

After a minor debacle caused by Kamatari's overdramatic antics, they were in his old yellow VW Bug heading into the heart of San Diego as some American punk song was playing on the radio.

_I haven't been this scared in a long time_

_and I'm so unprepared so here's your Valentine_

_you can't have a clumsy words a simple melody_

_this world's an ugly place but you're so beautiful_

_to me_

"I don't want to dismay you, doll, but your broody little Ice Boy hasn't made any blips on my radar in the past year and half which means he's either quite the stealthy one or he simple holes up in where he stays. Personally he seems more of the latter to me."

Misao sighed.

"I'm sure I'll run into him sometime."

"Well you flew over a freakin ocean for him."

Misao snorted and rolled her eyes.

"I DID NOT come over here just for Aoshi-sama!! I have other reasons."

"Yea yeah ok. So babe, what's for tonight? Take-out and a chill fest or should I show you the hot spots around this little town?"

"Oh God Kari-chan, staying in sounds soooooooo good. I'm completely worn and I think I threw my lung up off the California coast."

"Fine fine! I just got the Gravitation boxset imported from good ol' Japan we can watch! Oh that Yuki Eiri and Sakuma Ryuuchi are sooooooo handsome!!"

"Fanboy."

"This from the girl who plastered pictures of Tamahome and Tuxedo Kamen all over locker in high school."

"Hey!! I...well...oh...damn. Touche."

Kamatari laughed.

"Things are going to be so interesting now that you're here."

"Maybe." Misao said quietly as they drove on.

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end of chapter 1

Yes. Another story.

Yes. Eventually other things will get updated.

No. I don't know when.

No. If you leave a gazillion demands I'll just take longer.

I just started college today and I REALLLLLLLLY have to devote time to my art classes and stuff so please be patient and bare with me.


	2. Dressed to Kill

Author's Note: Hurrah I'm lazy!!!

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Chapter 2: Dressed to Kill

"Now before we do ANYTHING else you need to experience the first and foremost past time we do out here...and that is worship the sun via surf and sand."

"You mean we're going to the beach, Kari-chan?"

"The palace of Poseidon, the Temple of Tides..."

"Yea the beach."

"The land of bronzed beauties and sexy surfers.."

"YES THE FREAKIN BEACH!!!"

Kamatari pouted as he pulled out his beachwear and Misao turned around, making Kamatari laugh.

"Still so shy, Mi-chan?! Really! Afraid to be turned on by my sexy body?"

"Dream on fruitcake." Misao yelled, spinning around and then laughing at Kamatari's beach wear.

He wore a soft green bathing suit with matching trunks over it.

"I think there'll be MANY confused people because of you." Misao commented.

Kamatari merely scoffed.

"Out here, hun, there's more weirder things than little ol' me."

"Touche." Misao replied as she grabbed a bathing suit and went into the bathroom to change.

"Oh come on Mi-chan! I wouldn't want to look at your scrawny ass."

The bathroom door slammed open so fast that Kamatari had little time to react when Misao's foot collided with his side.

"OOW!! Crap Mi-chan! Hey..you've gotten a lost faster."

"Damn it Kari-chan, lay off the 'Misao is a scrawny midget' remarks!!!" she said, almost tearing up as she pouted.

"Hai!!" Kamatari said with a big goofy grin as he softly pressed the tip of Misao's nose as if it were a button.

The two walked out of the apartment and down to Kamatari's car and Misao brushed a stray stand of hair behind her ear.

"So are the beaches here better than the ones in Japan?" Misao asked as she quickly held onto the door frame as Kamatari burnt out of the parking lot, tires screeching.

"It's not a case of better or worse, but morso different. There's a different feel. I stopped trying to compare them and just realized they're as they are. Besides, it's the same ocean anyway."

"True."

"I used to think about that when I first moved here. Even though I was far away, we still live on the same ocean so it's not that far if you think about it."

"Sounds kind of like emotions." Misao murmured as she leaned her head slightly out the window as she looked at the streets and palm trees.

"How so?"

"No matter how far, as long as you have something connecting you, there's always a small feeling of home. Of comfort."

"Wow...when did you get so mature in thinking?"

"There's nothing too wrong with being immature."

"Maybe. Enough of this philosophical crap! There's this band I think you'll like that I wanted you to hear. They're not very new, but I didn't think you'd hear of them."

"What are they called?"

"New Found Glory. Oh the guitarist Chad is just soooooo cute! I got dragged to a concert and just fell in love with them! I got their second CD with me."

"Okay, play it then."

Kamatari reached up to his viser cd holder and unfortunately also neglected the road which made a panicked Misao grab the wheel and steer as she screeched 'brakes!!!!!'

Putting the CD in, Kamatari grabbed the wheel back and noticed how close they were to the back of a black Honda Civic and that Misao was gasping for breath and looking pale.

"What?"

The CD began playing 'Better Off Dead' and Misao tried to calm down as she listened to the music. The first song was quite energetic and it sounded good.

The next song came on and Kamatari squealed.

"Oh! Dressed to Kill! I love this song!"

"..View to a Kill?"

Kamatari clucked his tongue.

"That's Duran Duran silly child!!!! Although they're good too. Just shut up and listen."

_I know it's hard for you_

_to understand what I'm going through_

_and now I sit here to remind myself_

_You're always dressed to kill_

_and you feel like you owe it to the world_

_but you owe it to yourself_

_but you're...you're not here_

_and I can't stop pretending_

_that you're forever mine_

_and I..._

_I can't dream anymore since you left_

_I miss you singing me to sleep_

_I can't wait anymore in your arms_

_I miss you singing me to sleep_

__Misao bit her lip as she listened, the song making her think of what always seemed to own her thoughts: Aoshi. She saw it then in the distance, the ocean. It was wide and blue and she could smell it. Salty, warm, different and new. She smiled.__

_Cheer up my friends all say_

_you're better alone anyway_

_but you're always on tour_

_and you're never home_

_I'm always dressed to kill_

_and I feel like I owe it to the world_

_but I owe it to myself_

_but you're...you're not here_

_and I can't stop pretending_

_that' you're forever mine_

_and I..._

_I can't dream anymore since you left_

_I miss you singing in my sleep_

_I can't wait anymore in your arms_

_I miss you singing me to sleep_

_Cheer up my friends all say_

_and I can't stop pretending_

_that you're forever mine_

_you're better alone anyway_

_and you're not here_

_not here_

_I can't dream anymore since you left_

_I miss you singing in my sleep_

_I can't wait anymore in your arms_

_I miss you singing me to sleep_

_Cheer up my friends all say..._

__"Kari-chan, can you burn me a copy of this?"

"I'll do you one better and burn all their CDs. Ooh! PARKING SPOT!!!" Kamatari said cheerfully as he parked his car crookedly and hopped out, arching backing and inhaling deeply.

"AH!! Smell that salt air!!"

Misao closed her eyes and felt the breeze, then opened them to look down at the sandy beach and sighed.

"Yea. It's nice."

"Well time to turn to Krispy Kremes!!!"

Opening the trunk, they grabbed beach chairs and their bags and headed down to a nice spot.

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"So let me get this straight. Here being tanned and bleached is normal?"

"Yes."

"And they don't call you something like ganguro?"

"Nope."

"Interesting. And Kogirls?"

"Normal here."

"Wow! Someone should let the girls back home know."

"Indeed!! And maybe they can send over some of those cute J-rock boys too! I'll gladly accept Hyde or Makoto."

"I'm sure you would."

Misao lay back in the chair and rested her hands behind her head as she watched people at the beach, noticing there were a lot of good looking guys she wished she could remotely feel some attraction for them.

Alas she was screwed up in love.

And so it goes.

"Mmmmmmm! Sunshine shine shine!!!" Kamatari squealed.__

__"Control yourself there. No need to scared the locals." Misao murmured as she sighed.

"Me? Hardly. Maybe it's the amazing paleness of your skin that's doing it."

"Pale? Are you kidding me? People in Japan have been saying I'm getting too tan."

"Hun, this isn't Japan. We've got to get you thinking more opening about things. Look, here you can wear shoes indoors and wear skirts without being called skanky! Poor you, you'll be in such a culture shock soon enough."

Misao cringed, pulling her glasses off and staring at Kamatari with wide eyes.

"Is it that bad?"

Kamatari laughed and flicked Misao in the nose.

"Nah, just messing with you."

Misao slapped him.

"Bitch."

"True. Oh yeah! I got you a job interview!"

"Really? Where?" Misao asked, putting her sunglasses back on her face and laying back.

"The Wolf's Den. It's a small venue for bands and it's kind of like a club for punks and rockers. The owner's kind of a stiff, but his wife is very cool. She makes a damn good screwdriver with a little bit of pineapple juice with the pink umbrellas and.."

"Kari-chan, get to the point."

"Anyways, the owner's name is Saitoh Hajime and his wife is Tokio. They're from Kyoto originally and moved here ten years ago. They'll probably give you a job since you have experience waitressing and can speak Japanese since Saitoh-san has a habit of barking out orders in Japanese."

"When is it?"

AN!"Uhhh...tomorrow at nine."

"NINE AM?!"

"Uh...yea."

"Damnit Kari-chan! You know I don't like getting up that early!!!"

Kamatari jumped up and ran towards the water.

"Oh well Mi-chan! Tough luck!!!"

"Tough luck?!"

Misao knew it then. She was most likely going to kill Kamatari one day.

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God what awefulness. Gyah.


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